Abdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi
| Abdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Haji Ahmadi |
| Born |
 Iran |
| Allegiance | Party for Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), Koma Civakên Kurdistan (KCK) |
| Years of service | 2004-2011 |
| Rank | Commander-in-chief |
| Battles/wars |
Iran-PJAK Conflict Kurdish–Turkish conflict |
Abdul Rahman Haji Ahmadi commonly known as just Haji Ahmadi is an Iranian Kurdish leader. He leads a group called the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), a group fighting against the Iranian government for the creation of an free Kurdish region inside Iran. He lives in Cologne, Germany, from where he leads the organisation. His group, PJAK is designated as a terrorist organisation in United States,[1] Iran and Turkey.[2]
In summer 2007, he visited Washington, although according to the United States government he did not meet with any officials.[3]
In March 2010, Haji Ahmadi was arrested at his residence in Germany by German authorities, but was released shortly afterwards. The German government gave no details regarding why he was arrested or released.[4] Before his release, the Iranian government had asked Germany to extradite Haji Ahmadi to Iran. However, Germany refused this request on the grounds that Haji Ahmadi is a German citizen.[4] In response, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a news conference in Tehran that the decision to free Haji Ahmadi amounted to "practically supporting terrorism", and that "Europe has become a haven for terrorists."[4]